Intense Chest Workout for Rapid Growth

Part 1: Incline Dumbbell Press

• Reps: 10-12
• Sets: 3
• Intensity method: drop set

All good workouts begin with a potent pre-workout supplement like Impact Igniter to ensure optimal staying power and pro-level intensity. Today’s intense chest workout begins with a 12-rep warm-up set to prepare the pecs for the onslaught to come. The final set (always the most important in any set sequence) demands extreme focus. An example rep scheme for the final set is 150s for 12 reps, drop down to the 85s for 15. This high-intensity drop set “blow out” will have your upper chest built in no time! The upper pecs are notorious slow responders; this is as much a problem for elite-level lifters as it is for the rank novice. By putting incline dumbbell presses (unquestionably the most effective of the upper pec mass builders) first in the workout, the upper pecs are prioritized when energy levels are highest. As with the additional movements to follow, exaggerate the negative phase of the incline dumbbell press and explode from the bottom to encourage maximum fast-twitch fiber recruitment and, in turn, greater mass gains.  

Part 2: Dumbbell Flye-press Variation to Failure (supersetted with push-ups)

• Reps 10-12 (for flye-press); 20 (for push-ups)
• Sets: 3

To spark continuous growth a lifter must periodically include unique training methods to encourage ever-greater levels of intensity. Aside from working with different training partners (to stay fresh and motivated to excel), targeting the upper body muscle groups from different angles also increases muscle growth. One such approach combines the dumbbell flye-press variation with a superior, yet seldom utilized, upper body movement: the press up. With the flye-press variation on a 10-percent incline, make sure to achieve a full stretch and a powerful positive contraction on each rep. By adopting the traditional flye technique from the bottom position to three-quarters the way up before turning the movement into a press for the final push, the pecs are both thoroughly stretched and blasted with heavy poundage – the best of both worlds. Focus on going wide before squeezing the weights together. Quickly transition to a 20-rep set of rapid-fire push-up set to maximum the amount of blood being pumped directly into the pecs.

Part 3: Hammer Chest Press (with a slight incline)

• Reps: 8-12 (with four plates)
• Sets: 3

The key to ensuring phenomenal pec growth requires strictly isolating the chest wherever possible. While it is impossible to limit the involvement of assistive groupings (primarily the shoulders and triceps) when hitting traditional mass builders, one movement does allow more isolation than the others: the Hammer Chest Press. With the bench set to a slight incline, position your body up the bench and use a wide grip so as to encourage more lower/outer pec stimulation. Rather than a traditional press grip, use a neutral grip to further limit the assistance of the shoulders and triceps. Progressive overload is a bodybuilding mandatory that cannot be overlooked when muscle mass increases are the goal. Forced reps, and using a spotter to provide minimal assistance if necessary, are great ways to achieve maximal overload to ensure that muscle gains are taken to the next level.  

Part 4: Incline Hammer Press (super-setted with pec deck machine and standing cable flye machine)

• Reps: 10-12
• Sets: 3 supersets (nine sets total)

With pecs inflated, you are ready to cap off the chest workout with a “blow out” volume set: incline Hammer press supersetted with pec deck machine and cable flyes for nine total sets. This final combination of movements will require much heart, determination, and intra-workout supplementation to extend intensity beyond where lesser (and less suitably equipped) lifters would have long since quit. First up is the incline hammer press for upper pecs. With a wider neutral (palms in) grip – “to take the shoulders out of play”  Use slow controlled negatives and a powerful and explosive positive contraction on each rep.

AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WITHOUT THE PAIN, THERE CAN BE NO GAINS!

Next up: the pec deck for full pec activation. Here bring your elbows as far back as possible to achieve full stretching (and much growth-inducing muscle microtrauma) of the pec fibers. As the handles are pressed together with pure pec strength, both chests are fully contracted and pumped to epic dimensions. Finally, the standing cable flye machine (for lower pecs) rounds out the sequence to ensure that the entire upper body muscle groups are hit with unbridled intensity. Despite the compounding of intensity across all three movements, form is fluid with no pausing at either the top or bottom. Rather, muscle tension is continuous and the pain is all too real.